Aesthetics of Survival: Art, Fashion, and Curating History
Lecture by Ya’ara Keydar followed by a panel discussion.
We kindly ask you to register for the event, as seating is limited (80 seats). We will check your registration at the entrance. Please remember not to bring large bags or luggage to the event. After registration you will receive a confirmation by email.
Registration
On Wednesday, 18 February 2026, the event »Aesthetics of Survival: Art, Fashion, and Curating History« will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Grassi Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig. In the lecture »Secrets of Heroines,« exhibition curator Ya’ara Keydar takes the audience on an intimate journey behind the scenes of creating »Heroines: Fashion and Hope in World War II,« currently on view at Design Museum Holon.
In this talk, Ya’ara shares both the curatorial process and her personal experience of engaging with such a complex subject in the aftermath of October 7. Curation is a process that involves collaboration with professionals, moments of success and failure, errors and discoveries, and above all, a touch of magic. Ya’ara will tell the story of how a tiny thimble inspired an entire exhibition. She will reveal hidden stories unearthed in the research, share moving moments from the production process, and speak about sources of inspiration, something we all need now more than ever.
The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by IRTG doctoral researcher Liraz Cohen Mordechai, whose PhD focuses on fashion and who has collaborated with various museums in the past.
The panel will feature: Ya’ara Keydar, art historian Prof. Tanja Zimmermann, art historian and a curator from the GRASSI Museum.
Wednesday, 18 February 2026, 2 p.m.
Grassi Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Leipzig
An event organized by the International Research Training Group »Belongings: Jewish Material Culture in Twentieth-Century Europe and Beyond«